Green extraction approach based on μSPEed® followed by HPLC-MS/MS for the determination of atropine and scopolamine in tea and herbal tea infusions

A high throught methododology based on a green extraction technique, mu SPEed (R), followed by high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) has been proposed for the analysis of atropine and scopolamine in tea and herbal tea infusions. For this, a digiVOL (R) Digital Syringe was used with different sorbents and working conditions to obtain a fast and efficient mu SPEed (R) extraction. The best performance was achieved with a PS/DVB sorbent phase, sample loading of 5 x 500 mu L and elution with 2 x 100 mu L aliquots of methanol. The strategy based on mu SPEed (R) followed by HPLC-MS/MS was validated, attaining quantitation limits lower than 0.15 ng mL(-1) and recoveries between 94 and 106% for both analytes and applied to seventeen tea and herbal tea infusions. Fourteen infusions showed contamination with one or both analytes above the maximum content legislated (sum of atropine and scopolamine < 0.2 ng mL(-1)).

Automated summary

A high throught methododology based on a green extraction technique, mu SPEed (R), followed by high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) has been proposed for the analysis of atropine and scopolamine in tea and herbal tea infusions. The method was validated and found to be effective and accurate.